Abbas was shot in the head by two motorcycle-riding
assailants while he was driving a minivan in
according to local news reports. The journalist was a “block-time” commentator,
leasing airtime and soliciting his own sponsors, the reports said. He died of a
head wound, Police Chief Willie Dangane told reporters.
Dangane said the killing was captured on a closed-circuit video camera, according
to news reports. He initially told reporters that Abbas’ work may have been a
motive, but later said the murder was more likely a result of mistaken
identity.
Abbas had established a reputation for hard-hitting commentaries, which
included recent pieces on a proposed peace deal between the government and a Muslim rebel group known as
the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, according to press reports. The two sides
had engaged in an on-and-off armed conflict for nearly four decades.